Tag: Sompo

Japan’s megabanks most popular with Japanese graduates, electronics companies making a comeback

Japanese companies’ investment in their brand marketing, particularly their websites, may have more to do with attracting graduates from Japanese universities than attracting new customers in my experience.  Given that lifetime employment is still crucial to the big traditional companies (and still something many graduates aspire to), this is not surprising.

So Toyo Keizai’s survey of how the current graduate job seekers in Japan rate potential employers at the beginning and end of the recruitment process is a good indicator of the health of the brand and how well it was communicated to the job seekers.  This year the megabanks such as Mizuho (#1) and MUFG (#3)  are still in the Top 3 most highly rated employers even after the recruitment process, along with travel sector companies like ANA, JAL and JTB.  Other financial services companies like Nomura, Daiwa and Sompo are also in the top 10 with the other megabank, SMBC at #11.  This is much in line with the previous years’ graduates’ rankings.

Toyo Keizai notes that food and beverage companies seem to be increasing in popularity – Morinaga, Kagome and Kikkoman have all become more popular during the process and compared to last year.  Other major companies whose ratings improved dramatically over the recruitment process (so people got to like them once they met them) and are also more highly rated this year than by the previous year’s graduates include Panasonic (up to #39 from #156 last year at the beginning of the process), Mitsubishi Electric (#41 from #154) and Toyota (#35 from #57) and Fujitsu (#47 from #210).

Trading companies such as Mitsubishi Corp, Mitsui, Sumitomo Corp and Itochu whilst still in the top 50, seem to have lost popularity compared to last year.

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Top 20 Japanese companies most supporting women

This is the twelfth year that the Nikkei publishing group have announced their rankings for the best companies in Japan in terms of supporting women.  This year they highlight two retailers – Seven & I Holdings (7- Eleven convenience store chain) and Aeon (supermarket chain strong across Asia), who are ranked 7th and 9th respectively.  Companies are scored on how many women are in management positions, work/life balance, utilisation of women and the balance between males and females in the workforce.

Those people not so familiar with the Japanese corporate landscape may wonder why life insurers score so highly (Sumitomo Life at #2, Daiichi Life at #5, Meiji Yasuda Life at #8, Nissay at #15, Sompo at #19) – but those who have worked in Japan will be familiar with the life insurance sales ladies who used to roam the offices dispensing sweets and namecards.  Other less surprising entries are Shiseido (cosmetics and skincare) at number 1 and All Nippon Airways　(#6).

Foreign companies also usually do well – Japan IBM at #3 (although down from #1 last year), Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and HP are all in the top 20.

Other Japanese companies in the top 20 from rather more male dominated industries are Daiwa Securities (#13) and Sony (#17).

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Most popular companies with Japanese graduates

I alway find the rankings published each year by various organisations in Japan of which companies are most favoured by university graduates fascinating reading, giving insights into how the economy and societal trends have impacted the reputation of Japan’s blue chips.

The Nikkei Business magazine has focused on the rankings produced by Rakuten’s social networking site for graduates, the biggest of its type in Japan, this year.

Travel companies seem to have done particularly well this year overall – All Nippon Airways is top of the rankings (up from #2) Japan Travel Bureau at #3 (up from 8) and JAL resurgent after its successful restructuring in at #4 from no rank last year.  Maybe this is due to the high profile activities of these companies in trying to get more tourists to Japan, especially in light of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Advertising agencies are also back in favour – Number 2 is Dentsu, the mammoth advertising agency (up from #3), Hakuhodo is at #6 up from #14 and ADK has risen from 112 to 78.

Banks have lost ground –  Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ has dropped to #5 from #1, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp slipped from #6 to #9 and Mizuho is down to #13 from #9 but insurance companies seem to be popular again – Sompo Japan is up to #65 from 128 and Sumitomo Life also rising from 151 to 68.

Other big fallers are Ajinomoto (down to #23 from #11), Mitsubishi Corporation (down to #26 from #13), P&G Japan (down from 10 to #39, whereas domestic rival Kao has improved from #23 to #11) and Canon (down at 94 from 54, presumably following some disappointing financial results in 2013), Lotte (down to 89 from 56), NTT Docomo (86 down from 52).

Graduates from the top ten universities heavily favoured trading companies (Mitsui, Mitsubishi Corp, Itochu, Marubeni and Sumitomo Corp all in their top 10) and advertising agencies (Dentsu and Hakuhodo)

Reasons for favouring certain companies:

I could become President, have authority to make decisions – trading companies ranked highest

I can become a specialist in a certain field and lead projects – Toyota, Kawasaki Heavy Industries

My seniors recommended it – Tokio Marine Insurance, Yokohama Bank, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ

My parents/teachers recommended it – All Nippon Airways, Japan Rail, Mitsubishi Corp, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ

 

 

 

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